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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2017)
A4 Opinion Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 27, 2017 Where there’s fi re ildfi res continue to decimate forests and consume homes in the West, clearly indicating changes are needed to preserve our public lands and protect our communities. As Dr. Paul Hessburg, a Forest Service research ecologist, outlined is his “Era of Megafi res” presentation last week, the number of massive fi res each year is expected to continue to increase, and the current approach to fi re management is not addressing the underlying problem. As we said in this space last week, active management through sustainable logging and grazing is a great place to start. Hessburg points out the dense forests of today do not resemble the healthy forests of old. Policies and practices through the years have culminated to produce unnatural conditions. When combined with increasing temperatures and drought, everyone should be concerned. Our forests, as Hessburg says, are a ticking time bomb. After the Canyon Creek Complex fi re in 2015, I think most in Grant County would agree, even without a scientifi c opinion in support. However, Hessburg’s research indicating that frequent, smaller fi res in the past once prevented the massive blazes we’re seeing today provides insight into the situation and points out another problem. Prescribed burns can improve forest health by reducing fuels and helping restore a resilient patchwork of tree stands and meadows, but strict state Department of Environmental Quality rules often prevent them from being ignited due to air quality concerns. Clean air is obviously important, but what the current W equation does not factor in is the fact that air quality is far worse during a wildfi re than a prescribed burn. When fi refi ghters can choose when to ignite a fi re based on desired weather conditions, they can control the burn much more effectively to accomplish their objectives. Even when the weather conditions are conducive to prescribed burning, though, fi refi ghters must jump through another hoop with the state DEQ. Proper weather conditions for prescribed burning often only occur during short windows in the spring and fall. DEQ air quality regulations further restrict this window. This reduces the number of projects that can be completed each year, essentially stopping many needed burns. Without the prescribed burning, the areas remain overloaded with fuels that drive larger fi res that create more smoke. Strictly limiting prescribed burns because they produce a little smoke is basically begging for a lot of smoke from a massive wildfi re, which also brings increased risk of loss of life and property. Hessburg said prescribed burns are regulated as a “controllable nuisance,” whereas wildfi res are considered uncontrollable and, thus, cannot be regulated by the DEQ. Wildfi res may be uncontrollable, but they are also inevitable. Without changes, the amount of smoke in the air as conditions continue to worsen will be intolerable. State offi cials should consider the ramifi cations of inaction when setting air quality rules for prescribed burns. A little smoke now may prevent a lot of smoke in the future. W HERE TO W RITE GRANT COUNTY • Grant County Courthouse — 201 S. Humbolt St., Suite 280, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0059. Fax: 541- 575-2248. • Canyon City — P.O. Box 276, Canyon City 97820. Phone: 541-575-0509. Fax: 541-575-0515. Email: tocc1862@centu- rylink.net. • Dayville — P.O. Box 321, Dayville 97825. Phone: 541-987-2188. Fax: 541- 987-2187. Email:dville@ortelco.net • John Day — 450 E. Main St, John Day, 97845. Phone: 541-575-0028. Fax: 541- 575-1721. Email: cityjd@centurytel.net. • Long Creek — P.O. Box 489, Long Creek 97856. Phone: 541-421-3601. Fax: 541-421-3075. Email: info@cityofl ong- creek.com. • Monument — P.O. Box 426, Monument 97864. Phone and fax: 541-934-2025. Email: cityofmonument@centurytel.net. • Mt. Vernon — P.O. Box 647, Mt. Vernon 97865. Phone: 541-932-4688. Fax: 541-932-4222. Email: cmtv@ortelco.net. • Prairie City — P.O. Box 370, Prairie City 97869. Phone: 541-820-3605. Fax: 820-3566. Email: pchall@ortelco.net. • Seneca — P.O. Box 208, Seneca 97873. Phone and fax: 541-542-2161. Email: senecaoregon@gmail.com. SALEM • Gov. Kate Brown, D — 254 State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-378- 3111. Fax: 503-378-6827. Website: www. governor.state.or.us/governor.html. • Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310. Phone: (503) 986-1180. Website: www. leg.state.or.us (includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised Statutes). Blue Mountain EAGLE P UBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY BY • State Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario (Dis- trict: 60), Room H-475, State Capitol, 900 Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301. Phone: 503-986-1460. Email: rep.cliffbentz@state. or.us. Website: www.leg.state.or.us/bentz/ home.htm. • State Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R — (District 30) Room S-223, State Capitol, Salem 97310. Phone: 503-986-1950. Email: sen. tedferrioli@state.or.us. Email: TFER2@aol. com. Phone: 541-490-6528. Website: www. leg.state.or.us/ferrioli. • Oregon Legislative Information — (For updates on bills, services, capitol or messages for legislators) — 800-332-2313. WASHINGTON, D.C. • The White House, 1600 Pennsylva- nia Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-1111; Switch- board: 202-456-1414. • U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244. Email: wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Website: http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717. • U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart Senate Offi ce Building, Washington D.C. 20510?. Phone: 202-224-3753. Email: senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202- 228-3997. Oregon offi ces include One World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250, Portland, OR 97204; and 310 S.E. Second St., Suite 105, Pendleton, OR 97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278- 1129. Fax: 503-326-2990. • U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R — (Second District) 1404 Longworth Building, Wash- ington D.C. 20515. Phone: 202-225-6730. No direct email because of spam. Website: www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774. Medford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR 97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204. G UEST C OMMENT Climate drives fi res, not fuel By George Wuerthner To the Blue Mountain Eagle I’d like to respond to the mis- information in the editorial about “Manage forests or watch them burn” in the Sept. 19 Blue Moun- tain Eagle. It may seem intuitive that if you reduce fuels, you will have fewer large fi res. However, what is intuitive is not always scientifi cally accurate. It’s intuitive that the sun circles the earth, since any fool can see it rises in the east and sets in the west. Yet, we all know that the earth cir- cles the sun even though it would seem obvious that the sun is circling the earth. Climate/weather drive large wild- fi res — not fuels. That is why even though there is more biomass on the Oregon Coast, those forests seldom burn. The reason? Because it’s too moist and cool. On the other hand, a lot of re- search has found, if you have ex- treme fi re weather that includes drought, low humidity, high tem- peratures and, most importantly, wind, you can’t stop fi res. These are the very conditions that have existed with all large wildfi res from the Can- yon Creek blaze to the Eagle Creek Fire by the Columbia Gorge. Why is this important? Because 95-98 percent of all fi res are easily suppressed or, more likely, simply self-extinguish because the weather isn’t conducive to fi re spread. But a very small percentage of fi res occur during extreme fi re weather condi- tions, and these are impossible to control. And these very few large fi res are responsible for 95-99 per- cent of all the acreage burned in any summer. Under these extreme weather conditions, fi res burn through clear- cuts, thinned forests and prescribed burn areas. Nothing stops them. For instance, the Eagle Creek Fire jumped the Columbia River. Talk about a fuel break. There is nothing there but water, but it couldn’t stop the fi re being driven by 40-50 mph winds. Worse for the proposed solution of more logging, recent studies have found that fi re severity is higher in “actively managed” forests. For instance, here are the conclu- sions of a number of recent review studies. The Congressional Research Service found “From a quantitative perspective, the CRS study indicates a very weak relationship between acres logged and the extent and se- verity of forest fi res. … the data indi- cate that fewer acres burned in areas where logging activity was limited.” Yet another study published this last spring concluded: “We investi- gated the relationship between pro- tected status and fi re severity applied to 1,500 fi res affecting 9.5 million hectares between 1984 and 2014 in pine and mixed-conifer forests of western United States… We found forests with higher levels of protec- tion had lower severity values even though they are generally identifi ed as having the highest overall levels of biomass and fuels.” Another recent study by research- ers at the FS fi re lab in Missoula concluded: “Extreme environmen- tal conditions ... overwhelmed most fuel treatment effects ... This included almost all treatment meth- ods including prescribed burning and thinning ... Suppression efforts had little benefi t from fuel modifi - cations.” “Managing forest fuels is often invoked in policy discussions as a means of minimizing the growing threat of wildfi re to ecosystems and WUI communities across the West. However, the effectiveness of this approach at broad scales is limited. Mechanical fuels treatments on US federal lands over the last 15 (years) (2001-2015) totaled almost 7 million (hectares) (Forests and Rangelands, https://www.forestsandrangelands. gov/), but the annual area burned has continued to set records. Regionally, the area treated has little relationship to trends in the area burned, which is infl uenced primarily by patterns of drought and warming.” In addition to the failure of forest reduction projects to effectively limit large wildfi res, from a forest ecosys- tem perspective, large high-sever- ity fi res are critical to forest health. Many plants and animals depend on the episodic input of snags and fallen logs that are created by large wild- fi res. They have the second highest biodiversity found our forests. The reality is that we cannot halt these large fi res, but must learn to live with them. Reducing the fl am- mability of homes and not building in high fi re locations in the fi rst place are the only proven measures that can save communities. George Wuerthner is an ecol- ogist and has published 38 books including “Wildfi re: A Century of Failed Forest Policy.” He lives in Bend. L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR We are facing murder by legislation Sens. Graham and Cassady are leading the Republican Sen- ate’s last-ditch charge to destroy Obamacare. It is the most harmful effort yet. Upwards to 32 million people would be losing their health care. With the loss of affordable insurance, along with pre-exist- ing conditions, it is projected that many will die, and many more will lose necessary care with the loss of Medicaid. Why should one person die or lose care, let alone the many? This Congress is traitorous. This is murder by legislation! Are these honest senators, when they deliberately create legislation to legally steal huge funds from need- ed health care programs to provide huge tax reductions to the billion- aires? Or are they cowardly senators, when they bend to the likes of the Koch brothers’ threats to withhold campaign donations if Obamacare is not killed? Obviously, they are not concerned about serving you and me. Ironically, whose money are they distributing? Ours! This national disaster hits home in District Two in Oregon. Walden is a co-author of Trumpcare. Walden votes lock-step with the Trump agenda. If the senate passes the lat- est bill, Speaker Ryan’s promise to the Senate is, “You pass it. We pass it.” Walden will vote once again to demonstrate he does not care about his constituents’ health and welfare. It is time we vote him out of the House in 2018. Like everyone in my senior vil- lage, insurance is our most important issue. In my case, I am 85 years old, and have had three recent aneurysm operations. With this pre-existing condition, it feels like I’m in front of Graham and Cassady’s fi ring squad, and nobody gives a damn. It is time we got mad. It is time Grant County’s Weekly Newspaper P UBLISHER ............................... M ARISSA W ILLIAMS , MARISSA @ BMEAGLE . COM E DITOR .................................... S EAN H ART , EDITOR @ BMEAGLE . COM R EPORTER ............................... R ICHARD H ANNERS , RICK @ BMEAGLE . COM C OMMUNITY N EWS .................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM S PORTS ................................... A NGEL C ARPENTER , ANGEL @ BMEAGLE . COM M ARKETING R EP ....................... K IM K ELL , ADS @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE M ANAGER ..................... L INDSAY B ULLOCK , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM O FFICE A SSISTANT .................... A LIXANDRA P ERKINS , OFFICE @ BMEAGLE . COM we understood that democracy is a “hands on” sport, not a spectator sport. It is time we understood the problem in Congress is solved only by us getting off the couch and into positive action – not just during a crisis, but every day. Leif Hatlestad Rogue River Projects degradation, not restoration A recent guest opinion in the Blue Mountain Eagle addressed an issue that has been causing some discussion among local citizens. The information presented by the opinion was well documented and explained. I congratulate the local residents for their willingness to speak up and address the issue. The same project carried out on Beech Creek also was instituted on Camp Creek that runs into the Middle Fork of the John Day River. Camp Creek was a rare pristine creek in this area, and how it was degraded is upsetting to say the least. Resto- ration is supposed to be good; what happened there was degradation. I spent many hours on Camp Creek in past years; I will never go there again and look at the destruction of stream banks caused by excavators dragging trees down fragile banks and placing them in the stream. No cow or logger could ever decimate a pristine stream like that “resto- ration” did. The next time you see a Mal- heur National Forest sign, notice the small print at the bottom. It states U.S. Department of Agri- culture. Agriculture has to do with the growing of crops and using the crops to produce food. It doesn’t say anything about restoration of streams by degrading them. We’ve gone through the cycle of placing wood in the streams, blowing up the 1 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION RATES (including online access) Grant County .....................................$40 Everywhere else in U.S. .....................$51 Outside Continental U.S. ....................$60 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery MEMBER OREGON NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION Email: www.MyEagleNews.com Phone: 541-575-0710 beaver dams, tearing out the wood- en dikes and now we’re back to do- ing the same thing all over again. I am closing with a quote from the Declaration of Independence that states, “He (meaning the king of England) has erected a multi- tude of New Offi ces and sent hither swarms of Offi cers to harass our people and eat out our substance.” July 4, 1776. Sure rings a bell for me! Sharon Livingston Long Creek Mind-numbing mass media meddling The residue of the past, truth of the present and challenges of the fu- ture portrayed on mass public media today is a bit disturbing. The dubi- ously talented daily and nightly talk show hosts appear to be attempt- ing the revitalization of desiccated guest stars. A news media spokes- woman informing us that their job, as it has ever been, is “to control what people think” (can’t deny that when viewing the unsettling results of media mind meddling). And fi - nally, the “future” travel to Mars is not as straightforward as it may appear. The TV science channel un- leashed the trepidations of sex on Mars. Number one requirement is intrepid bisexual pioneers; number two is the fear that lack of gravity will cause muscle tissue to waste away because of no gravitational resistance on the body; and third is that any vigorous activity will only serve to separate partners due to lack of gravity. How could we survive in our day-to-day humdrum existence without the mind-numb- ing random deviant interjection determined by those who “control what people think”? Judy Kerr Canyon City Periodicals Postage Paid at John Day and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER send address changes to: Blue Mountain Eagle 195 N. Canyon Blvd. John Day, OR 97845-1187 USPS 226-340 Copyright © 2017 Blue Mountain Eagle All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means — graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping or information storage and retrieval systems — without written permission of the publisher. www.facebook.com/MyEagleNews @MyEagleNews